Improvement in machines for flanging boiler-heads



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. CAMPBELL 8v J. F. RICHARDS. Machine forV Hanging Boiler-Heads.

No. 205,241. Patented June 25,1878.

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UNITED STATES' PATENT CFFICE;

LOUDON CAMPBELL AND JAMES F. RICHARDS, OF PITTSBURG, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOV'R FLANGING BOILER-HEADS.

`Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. `554.1, dated June 25, 1878; application tiled April 27,1878. p n

I To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, LoUnoN CAMPBELL` and J Ams F. RroHARDs, of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Flanging Boilerf` Heads; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig. 3, a section on linezvwof Fig. l; and Fig. 4, a detail section, showing arrangement for clamping and revolving the plate.

This invention relates to machines for han ging the outer edge of boiler-heads; and consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafterV fully described and claimed. v

The main difficulty met with in machines of this class lies in the fact that a large circumference must be reduced to a smaller one, requiring the upsetting of the metal, which is very apt to buckle the plate and form corrugations on the ilange, rendering it necessary to finish by hand. 'i

The methods adopted to overcome these difficulties are various, some clamping the plate with its edge between driven rolls, the plate loosely revolving by friction, and being gradually canted to a right angle,some having the clamped plate'driven and the rolls operated by friction and canted up gradually to a right angle; butin all something is wanting. The movable parts meet with so much strain that the operation cannot be uniform and smooth; hence the plate must come out imperfect, and requires going over by hand. We, however, clamp the plate and give it positive Arevolution, and also give positive motionto the flan ging devices,all independently and at a relatively uniform speed, so that the combined operation is smooth and even, producing at o nce a perfect plate,which requires no hand-finishing or ball-hammering to face out irregularities. f

Our invention is as `follows: A designates the body of the machine, having the overhanging'parallel shears A A1', of such dimensions as the work requires, and is cast in two longitudinal halves, and bolted together, as shown. In. shears A' slides a cross-head, B, adjusted backand forth by a screw, a, passing through the threaded hub of a hand-wheel, b, collared inshears A', and projecting through a slot therein, as shown. Bearing vertically through cross-head B is a shaft, C, or mandrel, having keyed at its upper end a forming-roll, c, or former of peculiar shape. Its top is conical or rounded, so that in rising against the plate ittends to bend its, edge upward. Its middle portion recedes slightly, as shown, so that under the outward spring of shaft C with the strain, the re-entrant line becomes vertical and anges to a true right angle. Below the former swells outwardly in a curve, for use in rounding off the ange to any required degree.

The manner of automatically feeding former c up to work and the construction of parts are the same as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 201,325, granted to us for insideanging machines, except that we do away with the spring-catch on the loose collar and substitute a device for automatically throwing off the feed at the proper point. As in the patent referred to, we have the suspended arch d `on the cross-head B, threaded bearing e, and feedscrew f, whose notched head revolves in a fixed collar, g, attached to the base of shaft C, and` provided with a spring-dog, and the loose collar h, having the cam-face, all as described in said patent; but we make a notch inthe periphery of `loose collar h, and to arch d we pivot a catch-bar, m, so as to normally gravitate against the collar h and engage in its notch. So long as such engagement lasts the former is gradually fed upward to its work. A free pawl, n, is loosely pivoted to the arch, so that its lower edge overhangs the upper ofthe notch of the collar h, which then revolves and prevents any further feed of shaft C.

gear, 4, attached to a sleeve which surrounds shaft C, and ts'it' by splineV and 'groove,`and through this system of connections the motion of shaf't S is communicated to shaft G, while the latter may also rise vertically While revolved.

Sliding in shears A" is a crosshead, B', havn-WA Bearing upward through cross-headV B', so as to slightly lean ing the extensions B" B"'.

out of avertical line in--the direction of the outer endv of shears r", is a shaft, C', having its lower end enlarged into the resisting-roller c', whose 'periphery is inclined to rectify the axial inclination of shaft (EL-that is, the'face or periphery of roller c' is conoidal, and at the part nearest the former c is about vertical. The 'purpose of this inclination is to have only the outer edge ofthe roller c bear upon the plate, to avoid the opposing tendency of its opposite edge, if also allowed to bear upon the plate and grind. A feed-screw, D, passes down throughthe threaded bearing aorded by extension B", and is' swiveled to shaft C. Attached'by spline and groove to shaft C is avmiter-gear, 5, meshing with asimilar gear, 6, journaled in the extension B'", and keyed on' the end of the horizontal shaft S", which passes along in proper bearings on shears A". Thus shaftwCQncross-,head B',its extensions B" B'", gears 5 and 6, and shaft S" form one connected system, which is adjustable lengthwise by a' feed-screw, a', collared in the end plate of the shears and'threading into the cross-head B'.' To permit this, shaft S" plays by spline and groove in a long collar, E, orv

sleeve, from which it receives motion. On the end of 's leeveE is a miter-gear, 7, meshing with another, 8, keyed on the verticalshaft S'", which receives motion from counter-sh aft S" by means of the miter-gears 9 and'lO. By

the above arrangements, both former c and the resisting-roller o' receive positive independent motion, while both are capable of vertical and lateraladjustment.

The plate is laid on a'horizontal table, P, journaled in shears A', as shown. It is clamped by a presser-foot, P', which forms the lower end of a `vertical shaft, S4, which passes up through asleeve, k, screwing up and down in the shears A", and is'held by a collar above the sleeve. In one piece with the sleeve k, orV fixed thereto, is a Aworm-wheel, W, and thus any motion of wheel Wraises or lowers sleeve 7c,- an'd with it shaft S4 and presser-foot P. Shaft Stpasses up Yby spline and groove into the hub of a gear-wheel, 11,'journaled in the shears, which meshes with a pinion, 12, on the hub of a beveledv gear, 14, meshing with a beveled spur, l5, iitted by spline and groove'on 'shaft S", sothat therevolution of shaft S" :causes that of shaft S4, its presser-foot P', and

the plate clamped between it and table P. The presser-foothas several studs on its face, which sink slightly into the plate and gripe it firmly. PrecisionV in setting the plate is insured by the gravitatin'g center-pin z, vwhich plays vertically in a recess in the center of the presserfoot, whereit Aisretained by a lateral pin, as shown in Fig. 4.

The presser-foot and its shaft are fed up and down by the rotation of the worm-wheel W,

whichis effected by the worm on shaft w, bearingin the guides r, having attached to them a slotted plate, s, in whose slot extends the edge of wheel W, so that when wheel W, in

revolving, is raisedv or lowered, plate s,'shaft ui, and sliding bearings r r all move with it, for the accuracy of which movement the bearings r slide in the brackets t on shears A", as shown. Shaft w extends out some distance,

-in order that the red-hot plate may be readily clamped by the workmen without close ap- V proach to it. When so clamped, the resistingrollerc' is lowered till it presses firmly upon the plate, which is supported underneath by a rest or platform, n, tting closely to the former c. its conical surface is under the edge of the plate. which puts all the parts in operation, former c, rollerc', and the plate all uniformly revolving, while former c slowly rises and bends and upsets the edge of the plate into a smooth and perfect flange, without buckling the body of the plate.

, AWe clai'mas our inventione `1. In a flanging-machinapthe combination, with revoluble table P anda rest, o, for the plate, of the vertical pressure-roller c', having positive independent motion, and a revolving former, c, having positive independent motionand capable of vertical feed, substantially as described. Y

2. In a Hanging-machine, the combination,

with revolving table P and a rest, fu, for'the plate, of the vertical pressure-roller c", having positive independent motion and capableol lateral adjustment, and a revolving former, c,

having positive independent motion and capable of both vertical-and lateral adjustment, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a revolving former, o, and a vertical pressure-roller, c', having -its periphery axially-inclined, the pressure-roller c' being so inclined, substantially as described, as to bear upon a plate only on that side of its axis nextto the former c, as and for the p'urpose' shown.

4. The combination of presser-foot P' with' its shaft S4, collared and grooved, as shown,

' threaded sleeve k, shears A",splined gear 11,

14, spur l5, and shaft S", as

pinion 12, gear described.

Worinwheel W, wormshaft w, plate s, 'sliding The latter is then adjusted so that Then motion is given to the shaft S, v

bearings r, and brackets t, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of notched loose 'collar h, fixed collar g, with the described stud on its upper surface, pivoted pawl n, having detent o, pivoted catch-bar m, having notch for the detent, with the shaft C, former c, and

notched-headed feed-screwf, substantially as' described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We ax our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LOUDON CAMPBELL. JAMES F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

F. A. PoLLooK, THos. J. McTlGHE. 

